RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article T1 Impact of the Sensory Neurons on Melanoma Growth In Vivo A1 Keskinov, Anton A. A1 Tapias, Victor A1 Watkins, Simon C. A1 Ma, Yang A1 Shurin, Michael R. A1 Shurin, Galina V. AB Nerve endings are often identified within solid tumors, but their impact on the tumor growth and progression remains poorly understood. Emerging data suggests that the central nervous system may affect cancer development and spreading via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and autonomous nervous system. However, the role of the afferent sensory neurons in tumor growth is unclear, except some reports on perineural invasion in prostate and pancreatic cancer and cancer-related pain syndrome. Here, we provide the results of primary testing of the concept that the interaction between melanoma cells and sensory neurons may induce the formation of tumor-supporting microenvironment via attraction of immune regulatory cells by the tumor-activated dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. We report that despite DRG cells not directly up-regulating proliferation of melanoma cells in vitro, presence of DRG neurons allows tumors to grow significantly faster in vivo. This effect has been associated with increased production of chemokines by tumor-activated DRG neurons and attraction of myeloid-derived suppressor cells both in vitro and in vivo. These initial proof-of-concept results justify further investigations of the sensory (afferent) nervous system in the context of tumorigenesis and the local protumorigenic immunoenvironment. SN 1932-6203 YR 2016 FD 2016 LK https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/63886 UL https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/63886 LA eng NO PLoS ONE, Mayo 2016, vol. 11, n. 5, p. e0156095 NO Producción Científica DS UVaDOC RD 23-jun-2024